The Online Railbird Report: Heinecker, Blom & Hansen Experience Million-Dollar Swings
It’s been a couple weeks since the last publication of the Online Railbird Report. The holiday preempted our weekly high-stakes cash game update, and that means this week’s edition covers nearly two weeks worth of action!
Before I get to that, I encourage you to check out my recent Op-Ed titled The Problems of Opting Out from Online Tracking, which examines the recent trend of high-stakes players (i.e. Alexander “PostFlopAction” Kostritsyn and Kyle “cottonseed1” Hendon) deciding not to have their long-term results displayed – which of course has influenced the Online Railbird Report.
Alright, back to business. When we last left you, German pro Niklas "ragen70" Heinecker was on a heater topping the weekly leader board for the third week in a row and sitting with $4,654,242 in profit for 2013. Well, not much has changed other than the fact Heinecker has even more money. From Nov. 22 to Dec. 5, the German won $1,267,815 in 3,708 hands over 38 sessions, which made him far and away the biggest winner.
The only other two players to make waves in the last two weeks were Full Tilt Poker Professionals Viktor “Isildur1” Blom and Gus Hansen, albeit for being big losers. The Swede ended up losing $1,431,243 in 14,863 hands over 157 sessions, while the “Great Dane’s” disastrous year continued when he dropped $1,413,435 in 6,388 hands over 58 session.
A Lot to be Thankful for in Thursday Action
On Thursday, Nov. 28, Alexander “PostFlopAction” Kostritsyn finished as the day’s biggest winner after banking $165,800 at the 8-Game tables against Viktor “Isildur1” Blom. The two played for nearly four hours and the Russian got off to a hot start winning $171,000 in the first half. Blom managed to recoup $127,000 of that in the latter half of the match, but then Kostritsyn turned it on again and won $123,000 in the last 30 minutes.
Blom was down $400,000 at one point, but then found some luck at the fixed-limit Omaha hi/low (FLO8) tables against “SallyWoo.” It took the Swede just 80 minutes to relieve his opponent of $305,000, and to top it off he won $30,000 from Rui Cao at the $50/$100 pot-limit Omaha tables. All told Blom finished the day down $71,000.
Thursday was also kind to “Bonfire_28,” who won $105,600 at the $50/$100 PLO tables over on PokerStars, which is where he took down the biggest pot of the day. It happened at a six-handed table when “armdu” ($76,440.05) limped under the gun and “Bonfire_28” ($45,553.62) raised to $570 from the hijack. Andreas “Skjervøy” Torbergsen ($21,352) called from the big blind, “armdu” came along, and three players saw a flop of 7♠10♠K♥. Torbergsen checked, “armdu” bet $800, and “Bonfire_28” raised to $4,275. Both his opponents called, the K♦ turned, and two checks saw “Bonfire_28” bet $8,820. Torbergsen got out of the way, “armdu” called, and the 9♣ completed the board on the river. “Armdu” checked and then called when “Bonfire_28” moved all in for $31,888.63. “Armdu” tabled the 2♣2♦7♦7♥ for sevens full of kings, but it was no good as “Bonfire_28” held the K♣10♦9♥8♦ for kings full of tens. Ship The $96,077 pot to “Bonfire_28.”
Heinecker vs. Blom in 2-7 Triple Draw War
On Friday, November 29, Niklas “ragen70” Heinecker and Viktor “Isildur1” Blom squared off at the $2,000/$4,000 2-7 triple draw tables on Full Tilt Poker. The dynamic duo played two sessions, with the first lasting 110 minutes. During that time Blom pulled out to a $60,000 lead, though it wouldn’t last. In the afternoon, the pair met for another 80 minutes and over the course of 227 hands Heinecker won $382,000. Taking into consideration his earlier loss against Blom, as well as some other smaller hits, Heinecker ended the day $292,000 in the black.
A day later, the two were back at it and Heinecker won an additional $160,7000 in 110 hands. It was the final match of the month for both players, which meant Heinecker finished November up $2.4 million while Blom was down over $2 million.
A Rare $200/$400 NLHE Springs Up on PokerStars
Before Full Tilt Poker returned to the market last year, the $200/$400 no-limit hold’em games were regularly spread on PokerStars. After the cash games shifted back to FTP, the aforementioned $200/$400 game quickly dried up. That is why it was a bit of a surprise to see a $200/$400 NLHE game spring up on Monday, Dec. 2 with players like “wilhasha,” Isaac Haxton, and Doug “WGC | Rider” Polk. Obviously that game produced some big pots. Here’s a look at the two biggest.
Hand #1: Action was fourhanded when it folded to “wilhasha” ($178,052.54) in the small blind and he raised to $1,600. The annoyingly-named “26071985” ($95,946.69) responded with a three-bet to $4,500 from the big blind and then called when “wilhasha” four-bet to $13,600. When the flop came down 3♣6♥2♥, “wilhasha” bet $13,600, “26071985” called, and the 9♣ turned. “Wilhasha” kept the pressure on with a bet of $16,800, but he couldn’t shake his opponent as “26071985” called. When the 5♠ completed the board on the river, “wilhasha” moved all in and “26071985” wasted little time in calling off for $51,946.69 to create a pot worth $191,893. “Wilhasha” rolled over the 4♦7♦ for a big straight, and it was good as “26071985” mucked.
Hand #2:
Heinecker and Blom Pick Up Where They Left Off
On Wednesday, Dec. 4, Niklas “ragen70” Heinecker and Viktor “Isildur1” Blom were back at the $2,000/$4,000 2-7 triple draw tables, and once again the German beat the Swede. In one hour, Heinecker won $150,000 before the two took a short break. Upon their return, Heinecker won $28,000 more in just two hands before Blom quit the game.
Here are some other highlights from Wednesday’s action:
- Blom finished the day down $51,000 after winning $123,000 from “tymetogamb0|111” at the $50/$100 PLO tables.
- Patrik “FinddaGrind” Antonius won $90,000 from Rui Cao in three hours of $1,000/$2,000 2-7 triple draw.
- Alex “Kanu7” Millar won $105,900 playing $50/$100 NLHE on PokerStars.
Biggest Winners/Losers (Full Tilt Poker)
Week's Biggest Winners (11/22-12/5): Niklas "ragen70" Heinecker (+$1,267,815), “n0d1ceb4by”* (+$327,777), Daniel “jungleman12” Cates (+$172,094), Noah “Exclusive” Boeken* (+$167,276), Doug “WCGRider” Polk (+$146,770)
Week's Biggest Losers (11/22-12/5): Viktor “Isildur1” Blom (-$1,431,243), Gus Hansen (-$1,413,435), Rui Cao (-$256,890), Patrik “FinddaGrind” Antonius (-$241,142)
Year's Biggest Winners: Niklas "ragen70" Heinecker (+$5,922,056), Ben "Bttech86" Tollerene (+$3,007,955), Alex "IReadYrSoul" Millar (+$2,007,052), Hac "trex313" Dang (+$1,886,417), "no_Ola" (+$1,868,146), "Odd_Oddsen"* (+$1,729,297), Patrik "FinddaGrind" Antonius (+$1,477,575)
Year's Biggest Losers: Gus Hansen (-$8,582,115), "samrostan" (-$4,409,927), "MalACEsia" (-$3,773,524), Phil "Polarizing" Ivey (-$2,433,773), "punting-peddler" (-$1,567,657), Ben "Sauce1234" Sulsky (-$1,434,932), "patpatpanda" (-$1,330,885), Scott "mastrblastr" Seiver (-$1,220,399), "davin77" (-$1,037,057), "Johnbest" (-$992,253)
*Denotes PokerStars
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Data, hands and replayer obtained from HighStakesDB.com
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In this Series
- 1 The Online Railbird Report: Gus Hansen Suffers $1.4 Million Downswing to Close 2012
- 2 The Online Railbird Report: Viktor "Isildur1" Blom Profits $4 Million in Eight Days
- 3 The Online Railbird Report: Galfond & Blom Experience Million-Dollar Swings
- 4 The Online Railbird Report: Kyle “KPR16” Ray Biggest Winner of Week; Robl Drops $357K
- 5 The Online Railbird Report: Alex Kostritsyn Wins $1.2 Million; Gus Hansen Drops $376K
- 6 The Online Railbird Report: Shchemelev Wins $406K; Blom Week's Biggest Loser & Much More
- 7 The Online Railbird Report: Dwan Wins Over $2 Million in Six Days
- 8 The Online Railbird Report: Antonius Extends Lead Against Cao in $1 Million Challenge
- 9 The Online Railbird Report: Kostritsyn Wins $1.1 Million, Ivey Up & More
- 10 The Online Railbird Report: Ben Tollerene and Viktor Blom Win $1 Million in 48 Hours
- 11 The Online Railbird Report: Blom Becomes 2013's Biggest Winner; Ivey Week's Big Loser
- 12 The Online Railbird Report: Blom Over $4 Million for 2013; Huge Week for Hendon
- 13 The Online Railbird Report: Blom Drops $661,949 in Slow Week; $100K PLO Showdown?
- 14 The Online Railbird Report: Blom Wins $1.7 Million from Tollerene in Just Six Hours
- 15 The Online Railbird Report: Tollerene & Haxton Win Big; Blom Drops $1,474,629
- 16 The Online Railbird Report: The Professionals Duke it Out on FTP
- 17 The Online Railbird Report: “jama-dharma” Takes Blom for $786,971 in Limit Hold’em
- 18 The Online Railbird Report: Dwan and Sulsky Win $1M+; Blom's Massive Swings Continue
- 19 The Online Railbird Report: The Professionals Dominate with $1.5M Wins
- 20 The Online Railbird Report: Tollerene & Dang Win $1.4M & $1.2M, Respectively
- 21 The Return of the Online Railbird Report: Six Weeks of High-Stakes Action
- 22 The Online Railbird Report: Viktor "Isildur1" Blom Takes a $1.4 Million Hit
- 23 The Online Railbird Report: Viktor "Isildur1" Blom No Longer the Year's Biggest Winner
- 24 The Online Railbird Report: Phil Ivey Is Week's Biggest Loser, Durrrr Challenge & More
- 25 The Online Railbird Report: "Rhje" Wins Over a Million, Blom/Hansen to Ireland & More
- 26 The Online Railbird Report: Tollerene Week's Biggest Winner; Haxton Drops a Million
- 27 The Online Railbird Report: Heinecker Up $2 Million, Millar Crushes Blom in 10 Minutes
- 28 The Online Railbird Report: Somebody Better “Call_911” as Blom Drops a Million
- 29 The Online Railbird Report: Viktor "Isildur1" Blom & Alex “IReadYrSoul” Millar Win Big
- 30 The Online Railbird Report: Blom Loses $1.3 Million; Haxton Week's Biggest Winner
- 31 The Online Railbird Report: Heinecker Week's Biggest Winner; Polk vs. Sulsky Update
- 32 The Online Railbird Report: Phil Ivey Week's Biggest Winner; Polk vs. Sulsky Update
- 33 The Online Railbird Report: Blom Gets Back on Track; Polk Continues to Dominate Sulsky
- 34 The Online Railbird Report: Viktor Blom Wins Again, Phil Ivey Has a Setback, and More
- 35 The Online Railbird Report: "SallyWoo" Week's Biggest Winner; Tollerene Leads in 2013
- 36 The Online Railbird Report: Viktor Blom Up $2 Million
- 37 The Online Railbird Report: Blom Wins $1.3 Million in a Day; Hansen's Fall Continues
- 38 Online Railbird Report: Heinecker Tops Yearly Leader Board; Hansen Loses $1.2 Million
- 39 The Online Railbird Report: Rui Cao Week's Biggest Winner; Heinecker Continues to Roll
- 40 The Online Railbird Report: Heinecker Biggest Winner for Third Week in a Row
- 41 The Online Railbird Report: Heinecker, Blom & Hansen Experience Million-Dollar Swings
- 42 The Online Railbird Report: Antonius & Heinecker Fly High; Cates Fires Off in Chat
- 43 The Online Railbird Report: “samrostan” Wins $912,000; Galfond Drops $620,000
- 44 The Online Railbird Report: "mikki696" Jumps Out to Early Lead in 2014
- 45 The Online Railbird Report: Viktor "Isildur1" Blom Wins $800K in Three Days
- 46 The Online Railbird Report: Blom Fuels Action on Way to Top of 2014 Leaderboard
- 47 The Online Railbird Report: Kyle "KPR16" Ray Rebounds; Viktor Blom Wins Again
- 48 The Online Railbird Report: Blom and Polk Continue to Battle Online at Aussie Millions
- 49 The Online Railbird Report: Viktor "Isildur1" Blom Returns to Top of Weekly Leaderboard
- 50 The Online Railbird Report: Blom Week's Biggest Loser Upon Return to Nosebleeds
- 51 The Online Railbird Report: Two-Time Olympic Gold Medalist Cleans Up on PokerStars
- 52 The Online Railbird Report: Rare Winning Week for Hansen; Tollerene Extends 2014 Lead
- 53 The Online Railbird Report: Dan Cates Wins $1.18 Million; Tollerene Opts Out
- 54 The Online Railbird Report: Galfond and Cates Lose $1.1 Million Each; Blom Capitalizes
- 55 The Online Railbird Report: Hansen Loses a Million; Amundsgard & Cates Finish on Top
- 56 The Online Railbird Report: Phil "Polarizing" Ivey Drops $945K; Galfond Wins & More
- 57 The Online Railbird Report: Niki Jedlicka Wins $1.1 Million in Return to Full Tilt Poker
- 58 The Online Railbird Report: "Trueteller," Jedlicka, & Antonius Win Big; Ivey Does Not
- 59 The Online Railbird Report: Antonius Week's Biggest Winner, Ivey Loses Again & More
- 60 The Online Railbird Report: Antonius Wins Again, Two Mystery Players Revealed & More
- 61 The Online Railbird Report: Ivey, Galfond, and Hansen All Grace the Loser's List
- 62 The Online Railbird Report: Blom Drops Nearly a Million; Ivey Rebounds & Much More
- 63 The Online Railbird Report: Kostritsyn Wins Big, Hansen Punts, and Dwan Eats Crawfish
- 64 The Online Railbird Report: Winners & Losers of the Summer's High-Stakes Action
- 65 The Online Railbird Report: "Sanlker" Steamrolls His Way to Massive $1.4 Million Win
- 66 The Online Railbird Report: Alex Luneau Wins $1.1 Million; Viktor Blom Drops $976K
- 67 The Online Railbird Report: Mikael “punting-peddler” Thuritz Biggest Winner with $491K
- 68 The Online Railbird Report: Ruthenberg and Blom Win Big; Hansen's Bad Year Continues
- 69 The Online Railbird Report: Antonius, Cates and Thuritz Pulling Away on 2014 Leaderboard
- 70 The Online Railbird Report: Gus Hansen's Disastrous Year Continues
- 71 The Online Railbird Report: Ike Haxton Wins Big; Doug Polk & "Denoking" Feud, and More
- 72 The Online Railbird Report: Polk & "Denoking" Keep Things Interesting During Slow Week
- 73 The Online Railbird Report: Heinecker Returns with a $275,000 Win
- 74 The Online Railbird Report: Blom Drives Action While Kostritsyn Wins On PokerStars
- 75 The Online Railbird Report: Blom Continues to Drive Action; Kostritsyn Big Winner
- 76 The Online Railbird Report: Blom Week's Biggest Winner Despite Losing Sponsorship
- 77 The Online Railbird Report: What's Happened to the High-Stakes Online Action?
- 78 The Online Railbird Report: Phil Ivey Second-Biggest Winner with $472,000 Win
- 79 The Online Railbird Report: Phil Ivey Follows Up Last Week's Big Win by Dropping $357K
- 80 The Online Railbird Report: Phil Ivey Rebounds with $387,000 Win and More
- 81 The Online Railbird Report: Sanlker and Kibler-Melby Battle; Ivey Wins, and More
- 82 The Online Railbird Report: Kibler-Melby Wins Big, Ivey vs. Thuritz, and More
- 83 The Online Railbird Report: Dan Cates Primed to Finish as 2014's Biggest Winner